Colin McRae's untimely death marked the end of not just a great driver but also one of gaming's most successful sports franchises. So how would it fare without the man who put Codemasters on the sporting map?

In fairness, the franchise had been showing diminishing returns long before 2007, one reason why the original Dirt took a radical detour away from boggy, rain-soaked rally courses into the world of "gnarly" extreme racing, and the sequel takes this approach to a new level.

Dirt 2 borrows from everything from Burnout's collisions and slow-mo jumps to Grand Theft Auto's mobile phone conversations that create a convincing lifestyle that fill the gaps between the game's hundreds of available races, add-ons and seven car categories. As for McRae, only occasional respectful comments and his familiar Imprezza STI suggest he was ever involved in the proceedings.

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 Photograph: PR

So yes, this is very much an American game, complete with relentless emo soundtrack, cheery commentary and a massive range of racing events; from rallying to off-road, rally cross, "throwdown" challenges against other drivers, gatecrasher and last man standing – each with their own objectives, points and cash prizes. New cars, liveries, hood ornaments etc are unlocked at the end of every successful race and cars can be tuned up to make the most of the circuit – albeit more to the extent of Burnout than Gran Turismo.

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 Photograph: PR

The single player World Tour takes you from one end of the globe to the other, pitting you against named drivers like Dave Mirra plus your usual array of NPC creations. With a choice of four cockpit angles and as many difficulty settings, Dirt 2 always looks sharp, and the races are fast and physical, particularly in the impressive stadia events. And, by way of innovation, there's a VR trailer where you can choose and preview races and an excellent instant replay feature that allows you to restart from any point in a race.

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 Photograph: PR

On the downside, the rallying events are easily the weakest part – mainly featuring dumbed-down, one-stage affairs with none of the tension of shaving fractions off each sector. Even the precise 6-point turn ratings have now been replaced by a simpler "easy, medium or hard" warning from your co-driver. It's a shame, really, as with McRae's name still on the box you'd expect Britain's most idiosyncratic contribution to racing culture to stand a little taller. But that's it for quibbles, really – Dirt 2 is a dazzling display of speed, variety and innovation. It doesn't have the anal levels of precision McRae brought to the original games, but if you like your racing short, sweet and very loud, Dirt 2 is a good lace to start looking.